Responding to Civil Disorder

London boroughs played an important part in the swift clean up following the August civil disturbances and continue to play an important part in the recovery. However, it is in the longer term that boroughs have the potential to make the biggest impact on violence and disorder, by integrating interventions and focussing them to make the most difference in localities.

Overview

The relatively short period of disturbances that began on 6 August 2011 had a widespread physical and economic impact on affected localities and businesses across London. There was a rapid response by individual London boroughs which ensured a swift clear-up of streets and public areas. Borough Leaders played their part in mobilising resources locally, talking to residents and community groups, ensuring emotional support was available, linking businesses with advice and support and maintaining the overall momentum.

London Councils worked to back-up boroughs in their role of supporting local businesses and communities to recover, by lobbying for the quick release of resources. This was reinforced by the circulation of up-to-date information to explain the scope of schemes to support local firms and the more general recovery funds.

Individual London boroughs have continued to be active in providing help to affected communities and businesses, including facilitating financial support for local shopkeepers and co-ordinating support for people left homeless. Authorities are also working closely with communities to promote reassurance and engagement.

Robust pan-London co-ordination is being provided through the Recovery Management Group; chaired by Nick Walkley, Chief Executive, Barnet council. The group is working to a broad strategy based around restoring order, reassuring the public and businesses, and rebuilding in the longer term. Underpinning this is a commitment to ensuring good quality of information and timely advice to facilitate recovery efforts.

The Recovery Group has established specific workstreams on:

- Finance to support a consistent and streamlined approach to claims as well as identifying funding gaps that need to be filled (with the support of the Society of London Treasurers). • Communications, to provide a simple consistent message for boroughs to use and allow information to be shared and practice to be shared across London.

London Councils has established a dedicated ‘recovery website’, on behalf of the recovery group, at Londonrecovers.org.uk, drawing together useful information for boroughs, communities and the media.

Boroughs will have a long term role in supporting both physical and community rebuilding, analysing specific local factors and developing locally specific solutions.

Boroughs are key partners in a range of initiatives designed to prevent violence in the longer term. These include early intervention programmes, work to focus services around families with multiple problems and work to tackle group and gang offending.

Analysis

A Recovery Group impact analysis suggested that 1,333 businesses were affected by the disorder across 29 of London’s 33 local authority boundaries. The damage to businesses ranged from minor vandalism and broken windows to looting, arson attacks and, in the extreme, the destruction of property by fire. The majority were reported to be trading again within 48 hours, though often in difficult conditions. The worst affected areas may face particular longer term challenges in re-establishing their local economies.

More than 150 residential properties were damaged, typically by fire and smoke damage, principally in Croydon and Haringey. Most families or affected persons have made their own arrangements or have been provided with alternative accommodation, although a number of individuals remained in B&B facilities at the time of writing.

There were two fatalities as a result of the disorder in London and 237 injured police officers.

Gauging the impact on communities is more complex, with concern about the disturbances being balanced by positive signs, such as the contributions to the clean-up operation and public displays such as the Peckham ‘Wall of Love’. Reassurance has been underlined by local activity including high visibility police patrols and leafleting.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has arrested a total of 2,343 people to date1, (adults: 1,823 / juveniles: 520) in connection with violence, disorder and looting.

The Ministry of Justice has published information on those brought before the courts by midday on 12 September. While these can only be taken as early indicative results, they do suggest some significant trends within the 1,715 people who had appeared in London courts up to that point.

This early information on court appearances suggests that those involved were predominantly: • male • under 30 years-old

In London, 19 per cent of those appearing were classed as juveniles (aged 10-17) and just 4 per cent were aged over 40.

The data also suggests that those taking part in the disorder were much more likely than the general population to have a previous criminal history, with 68 per cent of adult males having at least one previous conviction. This connection was weaker among the younger age groups,

1 As at 8 September 2011 where 40 per cent of 10-17 year-olds had a previous conviction, suggesting that many were being drawn into the criminal justice process for the first time.

Approximately a quarter of those arrested were known to MPS for previous gang involvement. However there is little firm evidence to suggest that criminal activity was organised through gangs. The distance travelled to incidents was thought to be short in the initial days, but increased by day three.

The Ministry of Justice is expected to publish more data at the end of October, which will cover wider socio-economic and demographic characteristics.

Central government made a series of statements in the immediate aftermath of the disturbances. These included the Work and Pensions Secretary highlighting the possibility of removing benefits from people convicted, but not jailed, for taking part in the riots. The Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will also jointly lead on a cross-government programme of action to deal with gang culture and report to Parliament in October.

The government has announced an independent Communities and Victims Panel, which has been asked to deliver early findings by November, and present a final report by March 2012. The panel will not have the status of a public enquiry.

Darra Singh, former Chief Executive of Ealing council, will chair the panel. The other panel members will be Simon Marcus, Heather Rabbatts and Maeve Sherlock.

It is expected that the panel will take evidence from those in communities affected by the riots and disorder including residents, shopkeepers, parents and young people.

The panel will look at:

- the motivation for a small minority of people to take part in riots
- why the riots happened in some areas and not others
- how key public services engaged with communities before, during and after the riots
- what motivated local people to come together to take civic action to resist riots in their area or to clean up after riots had taken place
- how communities can be made more socially and economically resilient in the future, in order to prevent future problems; and
- what they think could have been done differently to prevent or manage the riots.

**Commentary**

There may not yet be clear agreement on the precise causes of the riots, but it is already apparent that a complex pattern of events took place, with different local factors leading to a range of different outcomes across London’s diverse boroughs and neighbourhoods.

What is clear is that boroughs will have a long term role in supporting both physical and community rebuilding, analysing specific local factors and developing locally specific solutions where they are needed. These solutions are expected to build on councils’ existing mainstream activity, much of which contributes to supporting and protecting communities through safeguarding; youth work; community empowerment; regeneration and housing provision. In addition to their mainstream business, boroughs are key partners in a range of initiatives that are designed to prevent violence in the longer term. These include early intervention programmes, work to focus services around families with multiple problems and work to tackle group and gang offending.

At a regional level, local government plays an active part in multi-agency approaches, such as the Anti Violence Partnership. This partnership promotes a wide range of initiatives, including the roll out of local Multi Agency Safeguarding Hubs, which improve the quality of information sharing between the police and councils.

The response to the disturbances is likely to have continuing implications for borough services in relation to:

- community engagement, including youth engagement
- economic development
- regeneration work, employment/worklessness services
- family intervention, parenting and inclusion
- youth and offending and Integrated Offender Management
- community safety, reassurance and drug intervention
- housing: homelessness, housing for witness protection schemes, for relocating families on the periphery of gangs, increased pressure on the private rented sector.

Boroughs are uniquely placed to make sense of this extensive range of potential interventions and to focus responses on areas of greatest need and where they can have most effect.

As the debate on the response to the complex problems develops at a national level, it is likely that boroughs will want to make the case for informed and locally based solutions, through the Communities and Victims Panel and other appropriate channels.

Recognition of the unique role that boroughs can play in building community resilience and delivering integrated interventions, will help build sustained support to make a real difference in localities.

**Author:** Doug Flight, Head of Strategic Policy Group (T: 020 7934 9805)

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**Links:**

- Communities and Victims Panel
- Statistics on Public Disorder (Ministry of Justice)

**This member briefing has been circulated to:**

- Portfolio holders and those members who requested policy briefings in the following categories: Crime and public protection; Leadership, devolution and democracy